Kaleidoscope

Things I Love
K

• k.d. lang
• Kaleidoscopes
• Koel Purie

:::

I bought him from the Japanese tent at the Global Fest on my birthday. He was a DIY, and I had to assemble him myself. I didn't do a very good job (it's been decades since I had arts and craft lessons), but he's functional at least, and he entertains me greatly.



(When he isn't busy entertaining me, he moonlights as the bearer of my Pride flag.)



My father had gone over to Harbin, China, because of his job when I was little. When he came home, he'd brought back for my sister and me our first kaleidoscopes. They were made of bamboo and mine quickly became one of my favorite toys.

I thought the patterns appearing and changing before my little peeping eye were gorgeous. It was such a simple thing, but it kept me thoroughly engrossed for hours. (I guess it's a matter of simple toys for simple kids.) Really, I feel sorry for people who had gone through childhood without their own kaleidoscope.

My DIY kaleidoscope can't be compared to my childhood one (sadly broken, then lost), but he's still pretty fascinating for me. (I guess simple kids grow up simple.) He's the best - if only - toy I have here, and he always cheers me up. When Jen was pulling her hair out over perilously overdue essays and impending tests last trimester, I'd loaned him to her, and when she later returned him, she said he'd soothed her frayed nerves and kept her amused.

When I came home this afternoon, I turned to him for comfort. It was just one of those days where you wake up inexplicably sad. As always, he didn't let me down.

Not just children, everybody should own at least one kaleidoscope. Then everybody's spirit would be up, and the world would be a better place.



















Now, if only I could learn to take better photos ...